Art. It is a reflection of sensitivity, a unique vision, an interpretation of the world. Creativity is not for the faint-hearted, believe me, whether your expression of art is painting, writing, music, dance or any other art form.
One of the most potent descriptions of great art which I have read is that it seeks “not to change the world but the eyes that look”. By that measure, the ArtBAB international art fair that concludes today, is one of the finest enablers of change. The region’s ‘youngest’ art fair, ArtBAB taps into the wealth of talent among Bahraini artists who decode the kingdom’s ancient heritage and culture with a fresh millennial perspective.
Indeed, ArtBAB is more than just an art exhibition. It is a mirror held up to the progress achieved by Bahrain – as much as the smelters of Alba, the classrooms of Bahrain University and the glass-and-steel towers dotting the skyline.
Importantly, it has made the world look differently at Bahrain and Bahraini artists.
The process of taking this contemporary Bahraini vision to the world with exhibitions in some of the most prestigious venues around the world – think V&A in London, Bikaner House in New Delhi and the India Art Fair, where Bahraini artists were represented for the first time – is a dream come true for Fairs & Programme director and art consultant Kaneka Subberwal. With unerring instinct, Kaneka has created a parade-ground for bringing out the most modern vision of Bahrain and with faith in the art community, she has measured it against the global canvases and proven that Bahrain stands equal among the best.
And Bahrain too believed in her vision. From the generous patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty the King and strategic partnership with Tamkeen, to artists becoming stakeholders, doors opened for ArtBAB. As one of Bahrain’s most respected artists, Balqees Fakhro commented the fair has not just made contemporary Bahraini art accessible to the global art community and given younger Bahraini artists exposure to art trends and masterpieces around the world but it has also given people a new perspective of the Middle East. Those old tropes of a repressive and austere Middle Eastern society disintegrate in the face of the joyful canvases and brimming creativity of Bahrain’s artists.
This year also saw a focus on Bahraini and GCC women artists through talks and a show platform and this too goes a long way towards dismantling misconceptions about Middle Eastern women being pushed to the background of national identity. And then, because the cliché of the starving artist need not be true, ArtBAB has also nurtured a market for Bahraini art and prices commanded by Bahraini artists have risen with their exposure to collectors around the world.
All this makes the fair more than just a pop-up gallery of pretty pictures. Although it carries its historic role lightly, there is no denying that the fair is a transformative movement in the history of Bahraini art.
One agency that must be commended for backing the project is Tamkeen. It was an unusual move for the government body to put its money into an event that involves something as intangible as art and creativity – any bureaucratic body is suspicious of immeasurables, after all – but this particular challenge seems to have been met in full measure. ArtBAB has generated a robust and vibrant economic template in an unlikely sector and put the muscle into what is generally seen as a risky market, despite occasional skyrocketing prices for masterpieces.
May the beauty of Bahrain’s progress power many more art movements to come.